DAVOS
\nForeign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says Pakistan\u2019s bilateral trade with China will reach new heights.
\nIn an interview with Xinhua in Davos on the sideline of World Economic Forum (WEF), Switzerland on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum,he said the bilateral trade relationship with China is expected to flourish further due to cooperation between the two countries in the fight against climate change and investments in renewable energy.
\nOver the last 71 years, successive generations of leaders have nurtured bilateral ties between Pakistan and China, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said in an exclusive interview this week.
\n\u201cOur relationship is based on mutual respect, trust and understanding. Both countries support each other on issues of core interest. Pakistan and China believe in promoting regional peace and stability and share acommon dream of national development and prosperity,\u201d he said.
\nPakistan-China relations have also grown thanks to new initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China in 2013, the minister said.
\nZardari emphasized that Pakistan and China today have a multi-faceted partnership.
\n\u201cWe have robust strategic and defense cooperation. Our economic and trade relations are rapidly advancing, … entering a new phase with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Our financial, investment and industrial sectors maintain close links,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cChina has become the top destination for Pakistan\u2019s students and there are strong links between our people nurtured by artists, academia, the scientific community and the media,\u201d he said.
\nLaunched in 2013, the CPEC is a corridor linking Pakistan\u2019s Gwadar Port with Kashgar in northwest China\u2019s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is aimed at boosting energy, transport and industrial cooperation.
\nWith investments in the country\u2019s modern transportation networks including roads and railways, energy projects, ports and special economic zones, the CPEC has provided the opportunity for Pakistan to promote development and economic growth.
\nRegarding the bilateral trade outlook between China and Pakistan, Zardari said: \u201cEconomic relations are the centerpiece of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.\u201d
\nTrade relations with China have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, he added.
\n\u201cChina is among our top export markets and the largest source of foreign direct investment. Both our countries also have an extensive Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) that is contributing to our wide-ranging economic relationship.\u201d
\nSince 2013, the CPEC has added a new dimension to the two countries\u2019 multifaceted economic relations, especially in energy, infrastructure, trade and investment, the foreign minister said. This cooperation has expanded to include the areas of agriculture, socio-economic development, science and technology and IT, he added.
\nIn the future, CPEC will not only provide opportunities for China and Pakistan, but also for third parties from around the world.
\nZardari said he is also keen to expand cooperation with China on renewable energies and the fight against climate change.
\n\u201cIn renewables, Pakistan and China have undertaken a number of major solar, wind, and hydroelectric projects. We also welcome Chinese enterprises to join Pakistan\u2019s Solar Power Initiative, which seeks to respond to human-induced climate change, notwithstanding Pakistan\u2019s own negligible contributions,\u201d he said.
\nThe Annual WEF Meeting 2023 was held in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 16-20, under the theme of \u201cCooperation in a Fragmented World.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DAVOS Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says Pakistan\u2019s bilateral trade with China will reach new heights. In an interview with Xinhua in Davos on the sideline of World Economic Forum (WEF), Switzerland on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum,he said the bilateral trade relationship with China is expected to flourish further due to cooperation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":308811,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-308837","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n